Four planes of development montessori essay

The First Plane of Development (Birth to Age Six): “What is That?” “There is in the child a special kind of sensitivity which leads him to absorb everything about him, and to adapt himself to life.” (Montessori, The Absorbent Mind) Infants and young children are in a “discovery mode.”

Dr. Montessori saw things differently. She recognized that human development is not perfectly linear. In fact, learning occurs in cycles. There are peaks and valleys to it, and you can see that represented in her chart. When you look at the planes, you can see the horizontal line of life, which indicates the age of the child.

The Four Planes of Development is the holistic framework upon which Montessori built her vision of developmental psychology. This theory encompasses human development from birth until maturity at age 24. I describe it as holistic because it considers all aspects of a child’s development—academic, spiritual, moral, and emotional.

Children are on a pathway. The theory of the Planes of Development recognizes that path, and supports children’s journey on it—the journey to become people with maturity, imagination, a love of learning, and good moral character. In other words, Montessori education doesn’t just support academic development; it supports human development.